Following the securing of information from the 1939 National Register for Northern Ireland (see 1939 Northern Irish FOI request successful) PRONI has confirmed with me today that all future Freedom of Information requests will require both proof of death and an address. This differs to Engand and Wales where only an address is needed, and to Scotland, where only date of death is required.
So how has the 1939 info supplied helped with my research?
The details I received were very limited, but extremely useful. I received my grandfather's name, his occupation and date of birth. I knew from trade directories in both Scotland and Ireland that he had moved from Glasgow to Belfast in 1936, and family tradition had it that this was so that his kids would avoid conscription. It's a long story, but my grandfather lived in Brussels throughout the First World War with his family as enemy aliens - his father collapsed and died in 1916 whilst hiding from the Germans (he was in hiding in a Dutch resident's house in Brussels for 16 months), and my great uncle John was soon after interned by them in a POW camp in Germany as a civilian.
So family tradition had it that my grandad basically moved to Ulster fearing that he was about to live through an imminent Nazi occupation in Britain and to protect his kids from conscription, which did not apply in Northern Ireland. The problem with this family tale is that the eldest kid was just 1 year old in 1939, so I just don't buy that! I suspect Charles actually moved to Belfast to take up a management position in a Clydesdale shop (the firm I knew he worked for in Belfast in the 1950s), and the fact he was a branch manager in 1939 now seems to add weight to that. It may be that he moved over to avoid conscription himself, but I doubt this, he joined the RAF in the war, after all, and I now also know from the 1939 details that it was after the war started that he did so.
More important was the birth date however. His death cert from Donaghadee, Co. Down, in 1987 stated he was born in 1904 in Inverness. This was in fact completely wrong. He was born in Belgium - his three siblings in Brussels (I have their certs) and he himself we believe in St Gilles on the outskirts of Brussels (still looking for that). But he attended school in Inverness for a year in 1910, and his surviving school records there state that he was born 1905, not in 1904. His marriage cert age also suggested 1905, but the 1939 record, where he was the informant, categorically stated 1905. So I've actually learned quite a bit from surprisingly little info.
In addition to these details, I was told that there were three individuals in the house, the others are my grandmother and uncle - he's still alive. Info will only be given out for those on the register now deceased, so I am now in the process of obtaining my grandmother's death cert.
I've had similar revelations with 1939 records from both Scotland and England, so in each case to date it has been worth the effort in pursuing these. Of course, charges are now involved for these in Britain, and I suspect will soon be forthcoming in Ulster also, which all has to be weighed up as to whether it is worth applying or not!
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Monday, 15 March 2010
Sunday, 14 March 2010
The Irish in Scotland blog
I've just come across a blog entitled The Irish in Scotland at www.irishscotsgenealogy.com/blog which may be of interest to readers.
Recent contributions include some interesting posts concerning researching the Orange Order in Scotland - well worth a visit.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Recent contributions include some interesting posts concerning researching the Orange Order in Scotland - well worth a visit.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Scottish Tartan Authority - new website
From the Scottish Tartans Authority...
After 10 months of planning and a few buckets of blood, sweat and tears, welcome to our new website. Bigger, better, beautifuller! We have hundreds of pages with layer upon layer of interesting articles dealing with almost everything to do with tartan, Highland dress and all its associated history. Our acclaimed Tartat Ferret has got even smarter and now shows each and every tartan magically transformed into jacket, kilt, trousers and couch. Our own Croft Weaver tartan design programme is online with its simple and intuitive interface and if you're a colouring-in fan, then you'll love our Bairns' section where you can colour in the Loch Ness Monster or the MacGregor tartan.
Have a good look around and read about the many Membership Benefits and if you're a Business Member. then visit our Promotions page and see how we can help you get more business.
Lastly - and most importantly - please let us know what you think of the new site . . . especially if you come across any glitches.
www.tartansauthority.com
I must admit that I get sensationally bored with tartan and absolutely everything associated with it to define Scottishness, as I find it incredibly false, and a distraction from what really constitutes Scottish identity, which I don't think any amount of dressing up in a fancy costume can reveal. Personally I think people would be better spending their money on some research - but I'm biased and would say that, wouldn't I?!!! lol :)
Nevertheless, as with hairy Highlander dolls and shortbread tins, I know there's a market for it!
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
After 10 months of planning and a few buckets of blood, sweat and tears, welcome to our new website. Bigger, better, beautifuller! We have hundreds of pages with layer upon layer of interesting articles dealing with almost everything to do with tartan, Highland dress and all its associated history. Our acclaimed Tartat Ferret has got even smarter and now shows each and every tartan magically transformed into jacket, kilt, trousers and couch. Our own Croft Weaver tartan design programme is online with its simple and intuitive interface and if you're a colouring-in fan, then you'll love our Bairns' section where you can colour in the Loch Ness Monster or the MacGregor tartan.
Have a good look around and read about the many Membership Benefits and if you're a Business Member. then visit our Promotions page and see how we can help you get more business.
Lastly - and most importantly - please let us know what you think of the new site . . . especially if you come across any glitches.
www.tartansauthority.com
I must admit that I get sensationally bored with tartan and absolutely everything associated with it to define Scottishness, as I find it incredibly false, and a distraction from what really constitutes Scottish identity, which I don't think any amount of dressing up in a fancy costume can reveal. Personally I think people would be better spending their money on some research - but I'm biased and would say that, wouldn't I?!!! lol :)
Nevertheless, as with hairy Highlander dolls and shortbread tins, I know there's a market for it!
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Saturday, 13 March 2010
1901 Irish census release date to slip again?
The following from 'Wicklow Rose' on the Rootschat forum indicates that the Irish 1901 census release date is going to slip again:
I was at a seminar at the National Library in Dublin yesterday when Catriona Crowe of the National Archives gave the latest update on the digitisation of the 1901 census.
It seems there have been some problems (no surprises, there!) but the records will go online before middle of June and they will be released in one fell swoop, not in tranches as the 1911, and with full search facilities under all fields. However, in order to meet that schedule, the records will be released without a full check having been performed. So we should expect more initial errors and omissions than the 1911 had.
In other words, the 'early' 2010 of the original estimate of release was optimistic. The 'mid' 2010 might just be met!
And also:
...the present problem with checking is the shedding of staff at the NAI. This isn't likely to get any better any time soon. So they take the view that if they waited to release the records in 'perfect' state, it would never be launched. A similar view prevailed with the 1911 but it seems that release had had at least some level of inspection prior to launch. This time there won't be any.
Amendments after launch, as with the 1911, will be ongoing but dictated by staff resources.
For more visit the thread at www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,426305.0.html.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
I was at a seminar at the National Library in Dublin yesterday when Catriona Crowe of the National Archives gave the latest update on the digitisation of the 1901 census.
It seems there have been some problems (no surprises, there!) but the records will go online before middle of June and they will be released in one fell swoop, not in tranches as the 1911, and with full search facilities under all fields. However, in order to meet that schedule, the records will be released without a full check having been performed. So we should expect more initial errors and omissions than the 1911 had.
In other words, the 'early' 2010 of the original estimate of release was optimistic. The 'mid' 2010 might just be met!
And also:
...the present problem with checking is the shedding of staff at the NAI. This isn't likely to get any better any time soon. So they take the view that if they waited to release the records in 'perfect' state, it would never be launched. A similar view prevailed with the 1911 but it seems that release had had at least some level of inspection prior to launch. This time there won't be any.
Amendments after launch, as with the 1911, will be ongoing but dictated by staff resources.
For more visit the thread at www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,426305.0.html.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Scottish Distributed Digital Library
A great new discovery by Sheena Tait concerning digitised Scottish materials - the Scottish Distributed Digital Library.
Lots of useful online digital resources, but rather than let me repeat everything, visit's Sheena's blog post at http://setait.co.uk/the-scottish-distributed-digital-library/.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Lots of useful online digital resources, but rather than let me repeat everything, visit's Sheena's blog post at http://setait.co.uk/the-scottish-distributed-digital-library/.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Scottish Notes and Queries on Electric Scotland
The latest Electric Scotland newsletter at www.scotchat.org/showthread.php?t=478 has announced that amongst the latest publications to be going on the site are editions of Scottish Notes and Queries, dating from 1887, a useful resource for Scottish research. And much more!
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Friday, 12 March 2010
1939 Northern Irish FOI request successful
Following my request for access to information concerning those present at an address in Belfast as recorded in the 1939 National Register for Northern Ireland, I have finally had a successful outcome.
I made an application in January through the Freedom of Information Act for the details of my grandparents' house in the Greencastle area of the city (see 1939 National Register - Northern Ireland request update). The following is the response I have received today:
Dear Mr Paton
Request for information from the 1939 Northern Ireland National Register.
Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding to you, the query proved to be more complicated than anticipated. We have a duty under the Freedom of Information Act to consult with the functionally responsible authority before any information can be released and in this instance we required legal advice on determining the responsible authority. In this case, we were unable to establish who the functionally responsible authority was, consequently PRONI is going to take responsibility for administering the decision.
Pursuant to section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act, only information relating to deceased persons will be released from the registers. As you have provided the death certificate for Charles Paton, please find below the details relating to him:
Etc.
The details supplied were for my grandfather only, as I do not have a death certificate as yet for my grandmother, but this will also be forthcoming once I have obtained this and sent confirmation through to PRONI. I was also informed that a third individual was present, but this is likely an uncle of mine, very much still alive.
So to clarify - the application required the address and proof of death. This now means that such information can be obtained from the entire National Register for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Details on Freedom of Information Acts to PRONI can be found at www.proni.gov.uk/index/about_proni/freedom_of_information.htm.
I'd like to publicly thank PRONI for the way that it handed this request, and for keeping me up to date with developments.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
I made an application in January through the Freedom of Information Act for the details of my grandparents' house in the Greencastle area of the city (see 1939 National Register - Northern Ireland request update). The following is the response I have received today:
Dear Mr Paton
Request for information from the 1939 Northern Ireland National Register.
Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding to you, the query proved to be more complicated than anticipated. We have a duty under the Freedom of Information Act to consult with the functionally responsible authority before any information can be released and in this instance we required legal advice on determining the responsible authority. In this case, we were unable to establish who the functionally responsible authority was, consequently PRONI is going to take responsibility for administering the decision.
Pursuant to section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act, only information relating to deceased persons will be released from the registers. As you have provided the death certificate for Charles Paton, please find below the details relating to him:
Etc.
The details supplied were for my grandfather only, as I do not have a death certificate as yet for my grandmother, but this will also be forthcoming once I have obtained this and sent confirmation through to PRONI. I was also informed that a third individual was present, but this is likely an uncle of mine, very much still alive.
So to clarify - the application required the address and proof of death. This now means that such information can be obtained from the entire National Register for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Details on Freedom of Information Acts to PRONI can be found at www.proni.gov.uk/index/about_proni/freedom_of_information.htm.
I'd like to publicly thank PRONI for the way that it handed this request, and for keeping me up to date with developments.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
US censuses - free access
Footnote (www.footnote.com) obviously senses an opportunity with the new WDYTYA series in the US! For a limited time it is offering completely FREE access to its US censuses collection.
For more, see Dick Eastman's post at
http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2010/03/footnotecom-opens-all-of-their-us-census-documents-for-free-to-the-public.html
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
For more, see Dick Eastman's post at
http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2010/03/footnotecom-opens-all-of-their-us-census-documents-for-free-to-the-public.html
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
New FamilyNotices.org site
From someone called Nigel in Fenstanton (Cambridgeshire)!
I have just unleashed www.familynotices.org onto the unsuspecting Public.
Following the death of a close family member, I was infuriated and worse, at the outrageous charges the local newspaper made for posting just a small obituary.
It made me think through the whole 'death notices' thing and I pondered how some persons are at their lowest ebb when trying to attend to the small details. I felt that possibly many were either disturbed at the whole horrible process and therefore would say "Yes" to anything just to be able to end the telephone conversation, or they were suffering the modern-day piety/mawkishness and want to spend as much as possible 'to show how much they cared...' - regardless the 'local rags' love it!
So I created FamilyNotices.org - which is an on-line repository for all notices of Births, Deaths, Marriages, Engagements, Anniversaries and Missing Persons.
This has the advantage of being world-wide, unlike the 'local rag' and better still - is free.
If you get bored and want to have a fiddle please feel free!
Please feel free to help yourself and post anything which is relevant and appropriate - and it doesn't have to be current. Details of 'Auntie Millie born in 1896' is just as relevant as a modern-day wedding notice.
If you like it, please tell your friends .........& if you don't just tell me!
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
I have just unleashed www.familynotices.org onto the unsuspecting Public.
Following the death of a close family member, I was infuriated and worse, at the outrageous charges the local newspaper made for posting just a small obituary.
It made me think through the whole 'death notices' thing and I pondered how some persons are at their lowest ebb when trying to attend to the small details. I felt that possibly many were either disturbed at the whole horrible process and therefore would say "Yes" to anything just to be able to end the telephone conversation, or they were suffering the modern-day piety/mawkishness and want to spend as much as possible 'to show how much they cared...' - regardless the 'local rags' love it!
So I created FamilyNotices.org - which is an on-line repository for all notices of Births, Deaths, Marriages, Engagements, Anniversaries and Missing Persons.
This has the advantage of being world-wide, unlike the 'local rag' and better still - is free.
If you get bored and want to have a fiddle please feel free!
Please feel free to help yourself and post anything which is relevant and appropriate - and it doesn't have to be current. Details of 'Auntie Millie born in 1896' is just as relevant as a modern-day wedding notice.
If you like it, please tell your friends .........& if you don't just tell me!
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Forthcoming strike at TNA
From the National Archives at Kew:
Following the announcement of nationwide industrial action by the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) on Wednesday 24 March, we are reviewing whether or not we will be open to the public on that day. We advise visitors not to plan to visit us on 24 March, and will make a further announcement when a final decision has been made.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Following the announcement of nationwide industrial action by the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) on Wednesday 24 March, we are reviewing whether or not we will be open to the public on that day. We advise visitors not to plan to visit us on 24 March, and will make a further announcement when a final decision has been made.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
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